Battle
by PinkRangerV
Summary: Sequal to Angel.


A\N: A reader pointed out I need to work on less confusion. So I'll try.

* * *

TOMMY

I've become a monster.

The words ring in my ears. The names, my soul hating what I've become. _Freak. Monster. Sadist. Torturer. Murderer._

The lie rings in my ears, too.

_Dr. O. Tommy._

I can still hear it, the way Kira whimpered my name, begging me to change. To be her mentor again, her freind. Her father figure.

I can hear how Kimberly moans it when I kiss her, forgets my name.

Those names are lies. I am Tirthor. They both know that. Knew it, when they spoke my name.

I was turned by Mesegog. I lay in the same dungeon Kira did, screaming in pain. She never knew that--she thought I had turned voluntarily. Much as I love her, she's far too naive at times.

Once I knew I was Tirthor, once I had been completly turned, I found Kimberly. I hid from her as Tommy. I will not make that mistake as Tirthor.

And then I gathered the children.

Jason had known I would become this. He knew that there was more at stake in this battle with Mesegog than I did. The trusted one of Zordon, imbued with knowledge he was forbidden to share.

Every child of the Power has some sort of superpower. Jason can unlock gifts, manipulate us. He hates using his gift, of course. Otherwise my heart would have stopped long ago. But Jason did unlock one child's gift.

I thought that Jason might have made one of my children the Angel. Mesegog had spied on their transmissions for years--he wouldn't have discovered my Ranger identity otherwise. So I knew the Angel was close to me.

I didn't know her gift. When Kira displayed intuition, I kept her alive, even though Trent was the one who knew who and where the Angel was. I thought Kira might be the Angel.

She dissapointed me. So when Jason was captured, I decided to put him in the same cell as Kira. He wouldn't have stayed captured anyway. Why not get rid of Kira, too?

But now the battle's become public.

We fight...I'm not sure where. I just teleported, Rita's twisted Magyk imbued into me. And at the moment, I'm sitting atop a cliff, watching the battle rage below me.

The Dark Court has every ounce of energy invested in Earth, almost as a matter of pride. And me. They have me.

The Rangers also have a weapon.

Kira soars above the battle, her ptera-scream destroying enimy after enimy. I smile. So beautiful, so graceful.

She spots me and soars up to me. I nod approvingly. Good. Her wings are full-grown. Maybe I'll tear them off.

"You're a good flier, Kira."

The words tear her apart and heal her at the same time. I feel the emotion roiling off her in waves. "Thanks." She says quietly. Still think I'm your mentor, Kira? Still think I'm the father you don't have?

You're wrong.

I feel the sweet stretch of my wings, huge and jet, soaring free. "Of course," I say, sliding into the air, "I'm better."

Kira turns to run. I fly after her, easily keeping up, and she spins, slicing my skin open with daggers. I laugh. "Is that all? Come on, Kira. I taught you better than that."

She screams at me. The sonic wave sends me flying, but I've practiced a lot. Slipping out of her scream is like flying from a current of air. There's even a nice, cushy thermal to buoy me above her.

I dive. She swoops up, dodging me, then kicks my head, my back, attacking furiously. I smile. Hard to fight while flying, Kir? Too bad Jason couldn't train you like Mesegog trained me. You might have won.

I grab her wrist, yanking it up and back, breaking her arm. She screams, but this is a scream of pain, not a ptera-cry. I'm used to that.

The lie whispers in my ear again.

_Dr. O. _

I silence it.

"Let. Her. Go."

I smirk as Trent, his body made of ice, steps forward, away from his hiding place. "Were you supposed to blow cover like that?" I ask mildly, setting one of Kira's daggers to her throat. "I was supposed to destroy her."

Conner, deciding that his cover's already blown anyway (it wasn't--when did he learn to stay still?) steps out. Fire covers him, except for a few inches above the grass. How'd you learn that, Conner? Start a wildfire? I wouldn't put it past you.

"I'd let her go if I were you."

I actually pause.

You've become a leader. My little Red Ranger...

I smirk, yanking Kira's arm further. She tries to stifle her cry of pain, and I twist it. She can't stop the scream that time. She has to fight herself not to pull away from me.

"I was supposed to destroy her." I repeat. "And I'm going to. I just want to make sure you get to see her die." I smile cruelly. "And this time, Trent, no one's coming back from the dead."

The sheer pain of the cold on my wings surprises me. As Kira catches herself, hurtling to stand beside her teammates, I feel a surge of rage and pride.

_Dr. O._

Ethan walks out. His whole body is scaled, metallic. A technopath.

"You kids should go home. Let the adults handle this." The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.

Kira--Kira? Of all people--steps forward, her broken arm limp and useless at her side. "We aren't children. We won't ever be again. And you will not attack us."

"Any of us." Conner says.

Magyk is so revealing. The painful accusation _(you hurt us)_ the quiet courage _(this will not happen again) _the sheer boldness _(you can't beat us!)_. So powerful...

I smile.

Then I fly away.

I have a battle to win.


End file.
